The MP Claire Perry on why women should vote to remain in the EU

"I can't find one credible source that suggests quitting the EU would be anything other than damaging for British jobs and British workers"

Most Popular

By Claire Perry

10 June 2016

Christopher Furlong / Getty

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

For the past six years as the MP for Devizes, the question of Britain's relationship with Europe, and what it might mean especially for women, has not really been one I have had to consider. My constituents, male and female, talk to me about practical matters like how to get more local jobs, stronger schools or improved transport, not Europe; and while I share many of the frustrations expressed about the EU – complicated decision-making or too much red tape – I have not had to choose. But now, with the referendum this government has given us after so many years of waiting, I have had to sit down and think the issues through. The result? I am proud to say I have voted to remain.

I've been asked if there is a women's angle in my deliberations. On the key issue of the economic Brexit penalty that would result from leaving the EU, we would all be affected. I have witnessed how hard it has been for so many people as we have got the British economy back on track. We have done really well with growth returning, the deficit shrinking and unemployment tumbling, and, for me, maintaining that progress is absolutely paramount, so that living standards can improve and we can invest in our public services. I can't find one single, solitary credible source that suggests quitting the EU – and walking away from the biggest and most successful single-trading market in the world – would be anything other than damaging for British jobs and British workers, men and women alike.

Most Popular

Women do care about safety and security – but again, I don't think we have a monopoly position on these issues and, for me, it is clear that paying the price of a Brexit economic penalty would do little to improve security and could, in fact, have the opposite effect. We already control our borders with passport controls – and can and do deny access to, or deport those who would do us harm, so there would be no change there – apart from the very real prospect of UK citizens losing their visa-free travel rights in the EU. And leaving may also restrict our ability to work with other European nations to deter cross-border criminality, using European Arrest Warrants for example.

Yes, immigration, another universal concern, has surged as Britain has become the jobs factory of Europe, but EU migrants make up just five per cent of the population and are here to work – 78 per cent are in employment – and the Prime Minister's negotiations will stop migrants claiming in and out of work benefits in the first four years of being here – reducing the pull factor further.

However, there is one area where I think women do think differently, and that is our willingness to work together and collaborate to solve problems – something that I see time and time again, both locally and in parliament – which makes the idea of turning our backs on Europe seem incredibly shortsighted. We have so much to offer by remaining: our openness, character, diversity, and capacity for influence in the world. I agree that Europe needs reform and that it extends its reach too far, but we are all better off if Britain helps to lead that reform by leading from the inside, not by being an awkward neighbour on the outside. Just as in every village or high street in this country, we can use the EU to come together with neighbours to collaborate, solve problems and tolerate, or even celebrate, our differences. Male or female? I'm not sure and I don't think it matters. We all need to make up our own minds, so get out there on 23 June and vote to remain with confidence.

Sign up to the bazaar newsletters now:

Please tick here if you would like to opt out of the Harper’s Bazaar Beauty Bulletin Newsletter.
Hearst: We will also let you know about discounts and great offers from us, tick this box if you'd rather not know about these.
Hearst Partners: would like to let you know about some of their fantastic discounts, special offers, and promotions. We promise you wont be bombarded. Tick here if you would like to receive these.